Prince Ricardo De La Cerda
Today marks the 110th Anniversary of the Birth of Princess Maria Francisca of Orléans-Braganza, the Duchess of Braganza, who was born away on this day in 1914! The Brazilian Princess who married the Pretender to the defunct Portuguese Throne, the Duchess possessed some lovely Royal Heirlooms as well as this modern Aquamarine Suite!
The daughter of Prince Pedro of Alcântara, the Heir Apparent to the Brazilian Imperial Throne, who renounced his succession rights to marry a Czech Countess, Elisabeth Dobrzensky of Dobrzenicz, Maria Francisca was a younger sister of Princess Isabelle, Countess of Paris, and Prince Pedro Gastão, and an elder sister of Prince João Maria and Princess Theresa. She married Duarte Nuno of Braganza, a Pretender to the defunct Portuguese Throne, and is the mother of the current Duke of Braganza.
In October 15, 1942, Princess Maria Francisca of Orléans-Braganza got married to Prince Duarte Nuno of Braganza in a ceremony held at Saint Peter of Alcantara’s Cathedral in the city of Petrópolis, Brazil. This union held deep historical significance, as it symbolically reunited two branches of the same royal family that had once been divided by conflict during a Civil War. Through this marriage, the ties between these two royal lines, long separated by strife, were finally mended, marking a moment of both personal and dynastic reconciliation.
To mark the occasion, Chica, as Dona Francisca was affectionately called within her family, received “various and valuable gifts, demonstrating the appreciation and affection that surround her person, from both Brazilian high society and the Portuguese colony residing in Brazil”, being the most remarkable present a suite comprising a necklace and a pair of earrings bought via a subscription set up by a group of upper crust ladies from the Rio’s society.
Made by Mappin & Webb, a British jeweller with workshops in Rio de Janeiro at that time, the demi-parure features 19 large and high-quality emerald-cut Brazilian aquamarines and dozens of brilliant and baguette-cut diamonds, all set in platinum.
As an expression of her appreciation for such an outstanding gift, the new Duchess decided to wear her Aquamarine Suite (paired with the Braganza Diamond Bandeau) for a reception held at the Grão Pará Palace after the religious ceremony at the Cathedral.
The Duchess of Braganza’s Aquamarine Suite shares some similarities with the Necklace and Earrings, also made by Mappin & Webb, given by President Gertúlio Vargas on behalf of the Brazilian people to Queen Elizabeth II to mark her Coronation in 1953.
The Duchess of Braganza wore her Aquamarine Necklace and Earrings to several royal gatherings in the 1950s and 1960s, most notably the Diamond Wedding Anniversary of the Prince and Princess of Thurn and Taxis in 1950 and the Wedding of Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia and Princess Maria Pia of Savoy in 1955.
The Aquamarine Necklace and Earrings were also worn by the Duchess of Braganza for the Wedding Ball of King Baudouin of the Belgians and Doña Fabiola de Mora y Aragón in 1960.
After the Duchess of Braganza’s sudden death at the age of 53 in 1968, the Aquamarine Suite seems to have been inherited by her eldest son, Dom Duarte Pio. Dona Francisca’s jewels would remain stored and unworn for almost 30 years, until her son’s marriage to Dona Isabel de Herédia in 1995.
Since then, the new Duchess of Braganza has been wearing her mother-in-law’s Aquamarine Jewels for several high-profile events, always in Portugal, never abroad.
In 2008, when King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden came on a State Visit to Portugal, Dona Isabel paired the Braganza Diamond Floral Tiara with the Aquamarine Suite for the Returning Banquet offered by the Swedish Sovereigns to Presidente Anibal Cavaco Silva.
While the Duchess of Braganza has not worn the Aquamarine Suite much in recent years, there is no doubt we will continue to see the Aquamarine Jewels for years to come!
This article was written by assistant editor, David Rato, who runs the Spanish Royal Jewels account on Instagram!